Senate Majority Leader John Campbell issued the following statement today regarding the Vermont Yankee debate and the timing of the Senate vote on the question of continued operation of the plant. The Senate is scheduled to vote tomorrow on the question of whether to relicense the nuclear power plant for another 20 years beyond its license expiration in 2010. Yesterday, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission confirmed that a tritium leak from an underground piping system was found in 2005.
However, in a statement released late this afternoon in response to a statement made by the Vermont Department of Public Service, Vermont Yankee said, "Entergy sent a response Letter to Commissioner O Brien regarding an allegation by an unnamed employee about a possible tritium leak in 2005. In the letter to Commissioner O Brien we state there is 'no evidence that the steam leak or the repair activities resulted in an unmonitored or unauthorized release of radioactive material into the environment'. The entire letter is attached.
At the moment, Vermont Yankee is trying to find the source of a similar leak discovered in January. Officials at the plant also acknowledge that its representatives gave inaccurate testimony to regulators and legislators over the last couple of years regarding underground piping systems carrying radioactive materials. Vermont Yankee, through its parent company, today modified its power purchase contract going forward by offering 25 megawatts of power at current rates for three years. The Legislature and Vermont electric utilities were unhappy with the original contract offer that essentially doubled the price of power to Vermont while cutting the supply in half. Vermont Yankee operates at about 620 megawatts.
With Vermonters' overriding concern that Entergy hasn t been truthful with us; it is imperative that we stick to the facts and do not distort the truth. I would like to address the statements made by Entergy officials and lobbyists claiming that a report commissioned by the legislature s Joint Fiscal Office is imperative to receive before the Senate should vote on whether or not Vermont Yankee should operate for twenty years beyond its scheduled closing date.
Entergy s lobbyists have stated that a report commissioned by the legislature s Joint Fiscal Office is pending. This statement is untrue. This report was in fact commissioned and paid for by Vermont s two largest utilities. The legislature s involvement in this report is limited to the Joint Fiscal Committee s approval of the legislature s economist, Tom Kavet, to work with the group on this project as well as permission given to the legislature s consultants, Synapse, to provide the group with information and ensure that the assumptions were acceptable. This is not a legislative initiative and the legislature did not pay for this report. The legislature did commission a report on electricity price forecasts. This report was delivered to the legislature on January 7, 2010.
As legislators determine whether or not it is in the best interests of Vermonters to relicense Vermont Yankee it is critical that we have accurate information. Entergy officials misled state regulators, state legislators and the public about the existence of underground pipes at Vermont Yankee. Unfortunately, Entergy s lobbyists are at it again.
The facts speak for themselves. Vermont Yankee is an old, unreliable plant; Entergy is attempting a Wall Street style scheme to spin the plant off to a debt-ridden corporation; Entergy is trying to stick Vermonters with the $600 million clean up bill; Entergy officials have misled Vermonters; and finally the price offered by Entergy for Vermont Yankee s power would result in a 50% increase over the power that they currently sell us. Entergy s lobbyists can not deny or distort these facts and are therefore resorting to attacking the legislative
process.
The Vermont legislature has been taking testimony on Vermont Yankee for four years. We have a responsibility to provide Vermonters and Vermont businesses a direction for our energy future, provide our electric utilities with sufficient time to secure delivery of energy, and in the event that the plant ceases operating as scheduled in 2012, provide the workers at Vermont Yankee adequate time to secure employment.
Source: Vermont State Senate. Entergy Vermont Yankee. 2.23.2010
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Vermont_Yankee_Response_Letter.pdf42.63 KB